Tana River gets first museum built by German Missionaries in 1900

Tana River county is set to have the first-ever museum with a rich ancient history that dates back to more than 120 years.

Already the National Museums of Kenya NMK is rehabilitating a missionary building built by the Germans between 1900 and 1902 in Ngao village in the newly created Tarasaa subcounty.

The museum is set to promote the rich history of evangelism spearheaded by the Germans who settled in the sleepy village.

The Germans built a mansion, a church, a school and a hospital as they spread the word of God.

They used the building to launch evangelism work among the Pokomo community.

History has it that the German missionaries attempted to evangelise the Orma community but failed due to resistance.

They however, received a warm reception from the Pokomo.

The rehabilitation comes after NMK secured about Sh2.7 million grant from a Greece-based heritage international organisation to rehabilitate the building which was abandoned more than 30 years ago.

Coast assistant director of museums and monuments Athman Hussein conducted a field visit of the ongoing rehabilitation.

“This monument has been in a bad shape for close to 30 years, we are glad that the NMK has partnered with local communities and secured fundings to renovate the building,” he said.

Hussein said the building will be converted into a museum and made part of the coastal region’s tourist circuit that has the ancient Methodist Church in Ngao village and the First World war monuments in Garsen.

He said the move was in line with the government’s policy of utalii mashinani (grassroots tourism).

Further, Husseinsaid NMK will gazette the more than 100 years historical building that is the missionary house and the church in partnership with the Methodist Church in Kenya so that they can continue receiving attention from Government and other partners.

“As you can see Ngao village is very sleepy it is a small village we believe once this particular museum is open it will promote tourism, as you can see the government right now has created what we call Utalii Mashinani and this fits well with Utalii mashinani,” he said.

He thanked the methodist church for allowing them to renovate the building adding that in the next two years whey will have renovated the Church.

The project coordinator William Saka, who is also the Curator of Jumba National Monument in Mombasa, said NMK received 19,500 Euros from Heritage International for the rehabilitation works.

He said the rehabilitation works that started in late February will be completed in June.

“After restoration we shall use the building for the purpose of establishing a museum, we received a funding from the heritage organisation which is based in Athens Greece. They extended a fund of about 19,500 Euros for rehabilitation works,” Saka said.

He said once rehabilitation is complete, they will develop an exhibition inside to showcase the rich ancient artifacts and information from locals that will be produced and used to promote history of the church.

Philip Jimbi, a heritage consultant, said the two buildings are important because of their history unique architecture and their connection with the Church.

He said the missionary house will be the first museum in Tana River county and will be one of the very few community museums in the country.

Jimbi a retired chief curator at the Fort Jesus Museum in Mombasa said all relics left behind by the missionaries in Ngao were important for the heritage.

“We are actually working on the building because it was abandoned, it was at the verge of collapsing because it was not being used and this project is bringing a new lease of life,” he said.

Jimbi said the building was built with lime, mortar and clay adding that they were using similar materials to rehabilitate it.

“We are trying to match it with what was used then,” he said.

Edward Yesse, an administrator and author from Ngao village said the community was elated by the ongoing works saying the history of Ngao as a Christian village will be preserved through the opening of the museum.

Yesse said it took them seven years to bring in the National Museums of Kenya to Ngao village.

“It is not easy to get funding, especially now. The whole community is ready for the museum and I know that the church will also be rehabilitated for the community,” he said.

Yesse said evangelism in Ngao was conducted by German missionaries who initially targeted the Galla (Orma community) but later turned to the Pokomo, leading to the construction of the missionary house from 1900 to 1902 and the church from 1903 to 1906.

He said the missionaries also established the Ngao Methodist Hospital (Now Ngao Sub County Hospital) as well as the Ngao Primary School (now Arap Moi Primary School) to cater for the health and educational needs of the locals.

Charo Tsofa, the chairman of a local community-based organization welcomed the project and called for the renovation and improvement of the hospital and the school.

Esther Nankuni, a worshipper at the Ngao Methodist Church said she is happy that the NMK had initiated the projects and hoped that the church building will be rehabilitated.

They are currently worshipping in a mabati structure next to the main church.